What Dreams Reveal
by City Limits
Summary: The deepest desires of our subconscious are often shared with our conscious minds through dreams. These dreams manifest themselves in different ways for different people. Two people who feel for each other manifest their desires in different portrayals. This is a look into the mind of two young people discovering the power of dreams.
1. Chapter 1

_A smooth, gentle hand ghosted away from their starting point on her neck, over her bare shoulder, down her arm to rest on her own hand. His fingers slowed weaved in between hers as he lay behind her, cradling her petite form. The rhythm of his breath against her neck gave her ghost bumps, as she leaned into his arms. Long, red locks brushed against her arm as he turned and raised his head to see her smile. Leaning down slowly, his lips graced her own. She parted her lips ever so slightly, and he took the invitation gladly._

Pink eyes shot open, almost instantaneously, and began darting around her room as she sat up. She was alone. No redheaded fox lying beside her, calling her back into his arms to sleep. He had only been a dream. '_No, not a dream_' she reminded herself; he was very real. But her imagination had gotten the best of her. Kurama had never shown even the slightest hint of desire for her; he was too polite and reserved to dare. Before she could help it a small sigh escaped her lips.

Botan shook her head, her long, flowing blue hair scattered through the air as she did so. What was she doing? She couldn't be thinking of Kurama like this. What would Koenma say? The fox was a felon, a reformed one, but a felon all the same. He was also a member of the team, the team she worked with. What if this became a conflict of interest? If Koenma found out, she could be removed as an assistant from Yusuke's team. Reassigned to work with the ogres doing paper work if Koenma was in a particularly bad mood. She would never see the fox again. Her mood soured at the thought, but before she could stop herself her hands reached her lips, feeling for a hint of reality in them. But there was no warmth left from his kiss there.

As she lay back down to sleep again, she couldn't help but wonder where the fox was. Or how he felt about her. Was he fighting feelings like she was, or was she invisible to him? These thoughts haunted her as she drifted back to sleep, where the redheaded boy waited for her.

* * *

The next morning, after securing her hair tightly in its usual ponytail, Botan headed for Koenma's office, to see what her assignment for the day was. She waved to a few familiar ogres as she passed them, they waved back distractedly as they gathered the paperwork they needed Koenma to sign. Botan was used to this and was not upset by their distractedness. Knocking on the doors, she waited until she heard Koenma's preoccupied grunt as a sign to enter the room. His stamp was flying over paper after paper as he looked up to see who had entered.

"Ahh yes, Botan," Koenma greeted her. "I have an assignment for Yusuke and I need you to collect him. Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei should be gathered as well if you can find them." Botan noticed her heart beating faster as Kurama's name was mentioned. Glancing at Koenma, she realized her hadn't noticed as he continued on with his speech. "... This is of the utmost importance so do gather them as quickly as possible. I'm sure Yusuke is looking for any excuse to avoid school and will be grateful for the case." Koenma began stamping his papers again, seeing this Botan bowed quickly and left the room.

'_Oh, why today?_' Botan couldn't help wonder as she summoned her oar. She soon took to the air and soared towards the human world. '_They haven't had a case in ages, and as soon as I can't stop thinking about Kurama I have to go see him. How am I going to act? Will he notice anything? Oh, of course he will! He's Youko Kurama for God's sake!_' These thoughts raced through her mind as she approached Yusuke's school. Descending onto the rooftop she found the boy easily enough.

Yusuke was leaning against the chain-link fence that surrounded the rooftop, his hands behind his head, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. It was possible that he was asleep. As Botan landed in front of him, his right eye crept open. "Oh, Botan, it's you. What does pacifier breath want now?"

"Yusuke, you really shouldn't speak of Koenma so, he was the one who gave you a second chance at life."

"Yeah, yeah, and he won't let me forget it either." Yusuke closed his eye again, stretched his arms out and brought them to rest in his lap. "So, another tournament? A second Sensui? My mother was actually a demon too?"

"I'm not sure exactly Yusuke, I was only given instructions to gather up you, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei and bring you all to Spirit World. Koenma is the one with the specific details on your mission." Yusuke sighed and stood up.

"I'll go find Kuwabara, he's got to be somewhere in this blasted building…"

"Wonderful! I'll collect Kurama and Hiei, meet me at the park entrance in an hour." With that her oar reappeared and Botan flew off to Mieou High School, where she knew the redhead who haunted her dreams would be. Landing on the roof of the school, she conjured herself a set of school robes matching those of the girls who actually attended the school. The thought, '_Red is not my color,_' raced through her mind as she opened the door and set off down the stairs to find the fox.

Wandering through the halls, peering into classrooms, Botan found the boy quicker then she'd expected. Kurama was wandering the halls, himself. As he saw her, a small smile spread across his lips. "Hello Botan, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Botan's heart fluttered momentarily. '_Pleasure? Oh cut it out Botan, he's just being polite._' She took a calming breath before starting, "Koenma sent me to gather you and Hiei to take you to Spirit World, he has a new mission for the group he wants to share." '_There, that wasn't so bad._'

"My, this is our first case in quite some time, I was beginning to think Koenma had forgotten about us." Botan let out a small chuckle. "Hiei should be in the park down the street, he's taken to storing his things there, and he doesn't move far from them for long. Let's go collect him."

Botan nodded in agreement and the pair was off to the park. Botan glanced at her watch, they had thirty minutes to reach the park and find Hiei before Yusuke and Kuwabara should be meeting them there. '_Perfect timing_.'

The pair was soon out of the building and approaching the park entrance. "So, Botan, what is this mission you'll be sending us on?" Kurama asked, breaking the silence that had hung between them since they left the school building, several blocks behind them.

"Oh, I'm not exactly sure, you see, Koenma only told me to find the four of you, Yusuke and Kuwabara should be meeting us here soon, and bring you to Spirit World, I'm not sure where he will be sending you after that." Kurama nodded in understanding and began looking around the trees, searching for his small, taciturn companion.

As Botan searched through the trees a thought occurred to her. '_How dangerous was this mission going to be?_' She thought back on all the times she had seen the team, Kurama specifically, injured. She didn't know how much more of that she could bear to see. Exhaustion, depletion of spirit energy, strikes to the abdomen, and demons stronger then ever were all common components of their past missions. Memories of the Dark Tournament raced through her mind, seeing each member of the team hurt and mismatched. She was quickly becoming concerned.

Kurama turned ahead of her and she followed distractedly, the boy noticed her distraction but did not think much of it, the girl had often seemed to be in her own world. "Hiei, I know you're here!" He called out, and no sooner were the words out of his mouth was the little fire demon standing next to him.

Seeing Hiei snapped Botan out of her trance. "Wonderful, I'm glad you're here Hiei. Koenma has a new mission for you all and we're going to Spirit World for you to receive his instructions."

"Hn. I'm not going anywhere, you can tell that toddler to stop interrupting my training for his little 'missions,' they aren't worth my time."

"But, Hiei…" Botan began.

"Foolish girl." With this Hiei began to turn until he felt Kurama's hand on his shoulder.

"Now Hiei," Kurama began, "Botan and I came all this way to find you, you can at least give us the courtesy of your presence for this meeting." The fire demon watched Kurama's face for a moment before silently shrugging the boy's hand off his shoulder. Botan smiled brightly at the pair and led the way back to the entrance of the park, where Yusuke and Kuwabara stood waiting for the trio.

The blue haired girl led the group of four through a cluster of bushes and small trees, to a secluded area of the forest. Glancing around she found the group of branches she was looking for, pulled them back, and revealed a portal to Spirit World. After all four boys had filed in, she went through it herself.

* * *

The four boys stood in front of Koenma, lined up by height, '_how funny,_' Botan mused. She was distracted from Koenma's explanation of the mission because she began studying Kurama's details from behind. His flowing red locks, strong shoulders, lean frame. She couldn't help but remember her dream. A slight blush crept onto her cheeks, which she tried to cover up. But she soon noticed a certain fire demon's eyes looking back towards her, in a way that only she could tell.

Botan's smile faltered. Hiei was a telepath. He could read her thoughts, and see her dream. She sent him a pleading look, asking him silently to keep the dream a secret between them. He let out a barely audible "Hn." Then returned his attention to Koenma. Kurama heard Hiei; he glanced at his small companion, who in return ignored his gaze.

Botan held her breath watching the two boys interact, though she didn't know why. Would it be so terrible if Kurama knew how she felt? Well, yes, it would be. Potentially disastrous. Oh, what had she gotten herself into? Now that Hiei knew, there's no telling what he would or would not do with the information.

"And Botan," Koenma's voiced broke her train of thought as he said her name, she snapped her eyes to him, "I'm expecting you to accompany the boys on this mission. We can never be too careful, and an extra set of eyes will do them good this time."

"Oh, Koenma sir, I'm not so sure I'm the one for the job…" Botan began, Hiei was watching her speak, and smirking at what he knew to be her futile attempts to avoid Kurama and her feelings for him.

"Nonsense Botan, you are perfect for the job and I won't hear another word about it." Botan sighed before quietly answering, "yes, Koenma sir." Hiei watched the girl as her shoulders caved in, defeated.

Then, Hiei turned his blood red eyes towards Kurama. His mind's eye flashing through the images he saw from Botan's memories, he tried to discern the truth from her desires. Hiei would never search Kurama's mind, for fear of how the fox would react. But he could watch the fox and his interactions with the girl. Actions speak louder then words, after all.

The group of five soon found themselves wandering through a forest, towards a mass of spirit energy somewhere to the west of their position. Koenma had sent them to spy on a possible new attempt to create a hole in the barrier between Demon World and the Human World. Koenma was not sure who was creating this hole, which was why he sent this group out. Botan was to return to Spirit World and report their findings before Koenma would allow them to attack.

After several hours of walking, the sun began to sink over the forest canopy. Yusuke gathered some wood, as Kuwabara and Kurama set up a campsite. Botan began sifting through the food she had available, and Hiei lit the fire. The group settled down and after an hour or so they each got into their respective camping bags, simmering down for a nights sleep.

Botan hadn't thought much of sleeping around the boys that night, particularly so close to Kurama. Until she began to dream.


	2. Chapter 2

_Botan's dream that night was similar to the one the night before. Kurama was holding her closely, within the warmth of his arms. The sweet smell of roses filled her mind. This time she was facing him as his fingers flowed through her shimmering blue locks, getting tangled in the smoothness of it all. Soon, Kurama was kissing Botan. Gently at first, before beginning to explore her mouth as she allowed him access once again. This time however, instead of waking up from the kiss, Botan allowed Kurama to climb on top of her._

_Botan felt his weight on her, not crushing her, but there all the same. It was oddly comforting, a sense of realness in her mind. His fingers proceeded to run through her hair. Her hands ran under his shirt, along his bare, warm back. His fingers rose to her scalp, tightened around her hair, and pulled gently. This caused Botan to let out a gentle, startled gasp._

_Slowly, Botan's senses began focusing around the fox instead of on him. The air was becoming fogged and dense. Heat surrounded her, and the smell of burning wood filled her nostrils. Botan willed herself to separate her lips from Kurama's own, as she did this she turned to see the area surrounding the pair was covered in flames, burning everything in sight, and rapidly approaching her. She quickly turned back and saw that Kurama was nowhere to be found. She was alone, with the flames closing in._

A forceful tap woke Botan up from her dream this time. Her blurry pink eyes looked up to see Hiei's outline barely visible against the night sky, standing over her. What she could see of his face was emotionless, and she felt the hilt of his sword against her shoulder. "None of that nonsense," he said. "Your wild imagination is keeping me awake. And if you keep distracting me I will do more to you then set fire to an imaginary room next time." Botan blushed, grateful he couldn't see it in the dark, before nodding, in understanding. "You'd be wise to move on, girl. Kurama would hardly fall for just a simple Spirit guide like you." Hiei's cold words burned the girl more then the fire he set in her mind had. He paused before adding, "At the very least control yourself. So as to not make a fool of him or yourself."

Hiei did not wait for a response, though he doubted Botan had one; he turned and retreated to his perch in a nearby tree. She turned over, facing away from the surly demon she was surprised to see Kurama's slumbering form laying in front of her. The boy was almost close enough for her to touch. She began to reach her hand out until the flames form her dream resurfaced in her mind. Worry combed her thoughts as she recoiled her hand, and once again, drifted back to sleep. Back into Kurama's arms.

* * *

The sun rose far too early that morning for any of their likings. As Yusuke began trying to wake Kuwabara up, the other three members of the group were distracted. Knowing Hiei's eyes were following her every move, Botan was attempting to busy herself in any way possible, as far from the fire demon as possible. Kurama was bemusedly sifting through the plants available in the forest, looking for anything that might be useful to him, as Hiei was in fact watching the spirit guide's actions.

Hiei was not sure why the girl's feelings for Kurama concerned him. The fox's life was his own, and he was certainly able to take care of himself and his feelings, or lack of them, on his own. However, her dream the night before had caused disturbances in the jagan's focus. Without his jagan focusing on their surroundings it was possible for the group to ambushed. '_I will not allow that to happen because of a silly little girl's crush._' Hiei watched as the girl finally ran out of things to do and resolved to watch Yusuke and the newly awake Kuwabara's bickering, avoiding his eyes and the knowledge they held behind them.

After a few missed punches were thrown, on Kuwabara's part, and he received a successful whack on the head from Yusuke, the group of five was able to resume their trek through the forest. Stealth and silence was not one of the two human boys strong suits, as they bickered back and forth during the first several hours of the walk. Hiei briefly listened to the pairs bickering, only to discover it was centered on ramen flavors. The koorime scoffed at the humans and their tedious arguments.

The group was spread out slightly during their walk, Yusuke and Kuwabara leading the charge, Botan followed them, with Hiei and Kurama silently bringing up the rear. Every so often Botan glanced back towards the fox, only to inevitably catch Hiei's red eyes glaring, causing her to shoot her eyes back forward. Botan could almost swear Hiei's eyes had flames in them, threatening her every move. Every time his eyes caught hers a shiver was sent up her spine.

Kurama watched the girl bemusedly. Her pink eyes sparkled in the sun every time she looked back at him and his companion. They held a sense of something he couldn't quite put a finger on. It reminded him vaguely of longing, but no, it couldn't be. Kurama was sure that Botan did not think of him in such a manner, he could not be so lucky. He shook his head at his own thoughts. She was probably only concerned by their silence and was looking back to make sure the two demons were still following her. '_Yes, that must be it,_' he reassured himself. Kurama could sense Hiei's curious eyes on him, but did not spare the fire demon a glance. Hiei knew to respect the fox's privacy, and chose not to pry.

Slowly, Yusuke and Kuwabara gave up their fight, which had as usual turned to insulting each other, and began to complain about their mission. "Stupid Koenma assigning us stupid missions. Has pacifier-breath never heard of cars? Or trains even? This walk is going to kill me before we even find the demons that **I'M** going to have to fight" Yusuke grumbled.

"Now Yusuke," Botan's sing-song voice began, "it's not as bad as all that. And Koenma set up a portal as close as he could to the site without the demons being able to sense us coming." Incomprehensible mutterings were the only response she got from the boy as the group fell into silence. Kurama had caught himself clinging to the girls every word, as if her voice was as favorite song of his that he didn't want to end. Before he could recompose his thoughts Kurama briefly wished he had a repeat button he could press, but quickly shook the idea away.

They were, in a sense, teammates. And Botan was not a teammate Kurama could afford to lose. If only because he would not have a reason to see her again. '_No,_' he told himself, '_Botan has come through for us several times, with her healing abilities, scouting, and information on their opponents. It would be better to remain silent about my feelings. We can't afford to lose her._' As this thought ran through his mind Kurama caught himself off guard. '_My feelings? Since when do I have feelings for Botan?_' His emerald eyes began to study the girl walking in front of him as he considered this idea.

Her petite frame was lean, but strong. Kurama had seen the girl wield her oar one too many times to doubt her strength. Her unnaturally blue hair swayed to the rhythm of her steps, gleaming in the sunlight that broke through the canopy above. As her head turned her could see her fair skin, which only accentuated her bright, pink eyes. Mentally Kurama noticed how well the girl dressed herself. Not in her usual pink kimono, the girl was wearing tight blue jeans, accentuating her long legs, and a pink shirt with a brown jacket that had a hood on it, and pair of white sneakers. The clothes fit her personality well, Kurama realized, and he wished her saw her in human clothes more often.

'_Her personality_.' Kurama thought of all the times her had seen the girl over the last few years. '_Always smiling, committed, loyal. She has sacrificed her several times for the betterment of others. Keeping Hiei from controlling Keiko, diving under a bookcase to save a virtual stranger._'

Kurama mentally slapped himself before he could keep going. What was he doing? He could not keep thinking like this, he had already had to stop himself at least once before. Botan was his friend and teammate. He could not think of her like this, besides, he doubted she felt the same. He was Youko Kurama after all, '_Why would a girl like her love a thief like me?'_ Brief flashes of the concern she showed for him during the Dark Tournament ran through his mind, and stayed there as he contemplated them, and the meaning of the word love.

* * *

Hiei had watched his friend silently for the last fifteen minutes or so, monitoring the foxes face as the boys emerald eyes studied the girl in front of them. '_Perhaps I was wrong,_' Hiei thought. '_Botan does seem to hold a certain appeal to the fox._' The small demon decided to allow Kurama his privacy. '_For now anyways._'

Redirecting his thoughts to the task at hand, Hiei realized they were much closer to the energy source from the portal then he originally anticipated. He scolded himself; his thoughts should not have been distracted for so long. '_This girl is truly becoming a problem._' They couldn't be more then six miles away from the portal. Guards were sure to be appearing soon, and if he wasn't paying attention it could be disastrous, especially if that fool Kuwabara tried to save the day. Again.

The group dynamic shifted as the others began to sense the energy around them as well. Yusuke's back straightened up as he prepared himself for potential attacks. Kuwabara's eyes began to shift back and forth, searching the forest for potential foes. Hiei and the other three boys silently encircled Botan in an act of protection, as he brought his weapon to a more easily accessible position.

In this way they walked on, through the forest. Rapidly approaching the new portal, but without any sign of attack from any guards or security. Not even the slightest rustle of leaves escaped the group's attention.

Something wasn't right. They could all sense it, but no one knew what it was. '_There's no reason we should be able to come this close to the portal, unless they are using us in some way._'

"Detective," Hiei's voice was the first sound any of them had uttered in quite some time. "This is most likely a set-up. We're too close to have not at least run into the most rudimentary of guards. Any low-class demon would have sensed our combined energies coming miles ago." Yusuke nodded slowly in acceptance of Hiei's statement.

The boy thought for a minute before he turned, "Botan. Can you fly and see if you can find anything we might need to know before were keep walking?" The girl's oar was under her before Yusuke finished his sentence and she rose into the sky. "I'll be back soon!" She called as she flew out of their sights. '_At least she is good for something,_' Hiei thought.

The group kept moving slowly as they waited for the girls return, only progressing to a denser part of the woods before they waited for Botan's analysis. Several minutes passed before she reappeared, "I couldn't find any sort of guards, barrier, or illusion to attempt to stop you from moving forward." Landing gracefully on the ground, her oar vanished once again.

"Then we keep moving." It was the only response Yusuke could offer.

The group silently moved once again, slowly advancing to the barrier site. "I got a funny feeling about this. It's too easy, Urameshi." No sooner were the words out of Kuwabara's mouth then the group was blasted by explosives. They flew backwards from the force of the explosion, debris flying with them. As the group got their bearings again hoards of demons rushed out from the depths of the forest, attacking them in what they hoped was a caught off guard state. Unfortunately for these demons, it wasn't.

Without missing a beat Yusuke sent out his shotgun, plowing down several of the initially attacking forces. Not to be outdone, Kuwabara raced forward, summoning his spirit sword, he dove straight into attack. Demons were being sliced in half rapidly, '_His skills have improved,_' Hiei noted before drawing his own sword and attacking the first demon he saw. '_Barely._'

A quick glance across the battlefield showed Hiei that Kurama wasn't fighting. Instead he caught the fleeting glimpse of the fox running with Botan, no doubt taking her to safety, rushing her out of the small clearing they were held in.

'_That blasted fox,_' ran through the koorime's mind. '_The girl can take care of herself, we have bigger problems._' Hiei was, however, in no position to chase or alter their course. The demons pouring through the forest kept him preoccupied. Despite his anger at Kurama, Hiei was more then happy to take over the foxes share and destroy them.

* * *

Kurama rushed Botan out of the clearing and into the cover of the forest. His hand resting on the small of her back, guiding her path. A small light blush crept onto her cheeks as they ran, she was glad he couldn't see them. After a few minutes their pace slowed to a halt. "Botan, summon your oar and get out of danger. Either go back to Spirit World or hang above the canopy. Just stay out of danger." Concern was laced through his voice. The boys emerald eyes watched her summon her oar. As she rose into the air, he made to return to the battle when a startled cry came from behind him.

A monstrous demon of great proportions had entered the clearing; he must have been at least twenty feet tall. The demon's lanky arm swung out, attacking the blue haired beauty as she tried to navigate her way around the creature.

Before he could think Kurama felt his hand reach into his hair and heard his voice call out "Rose Whip!" Instantly he charged the demon, snapping his wrist the long whip wrapped around the demon's arm, ensnaring it and moving it away from the flying girl.

The demon's free hand slammed down to the ground, narrowly missing Kurama as he dodged the attack. A glimpse of blue in the corner of his eye distracted Kurama just long enough to allow the demon to land a strike across his abdomen. Kurama involuntarily let out a cry of pain and he fell to the ground. A shadow loomed over his crippled state and Kurama feared he could not dodge such a quick second blow.

As he looked up he saw a petite female form guarding him, holding an oar in a striking position. '_That stupid, brave girl,_' he thought as a smile graced his lips momentarily. '_She's loyal if nothing else._' He stood up as swiftly as he could in preparation for the demon's next attack.

Hands suddenly clasped around his neck from behind, and a matching set of legs encircled his stomach, locking his arms down. The rose whip dropped from his hands as Kurama struggled against his new attacker. In his struggle he watched as Botan was struck down in front of him. Her limp form collapsing to the ground in a way that almost made her look as if she was asleep. Kurama began to fight his captor in a more frenzied manner, losing his precious control in his concern for Botan. The boy began noticing the pressure he felt tightening around his neck. Quickly, the fox lost consciousness and fell to the ground, just out of reach from the blue-haired girl.

* * *

Hiei noticed the drop in Kurama's spirit energy levels. An unusual drop to have happened so quickly, which concerned Hiei greatly. Hiei noticed briefly that Botan's energy had declined as well. He knew his friend was in trouble, but could not spare the time to take care of the situation. Hiei cursed Koenma silently in his mind as he continued to slay the demons in front of him, hoping to reach the fox soon.

* * *

Author's-Note: I'm sorry if there are any errors. I proofed this for about the fifth time earlier, caught new fixes, was about to post it, and my power went out... And I just can't do it again. Sorry. Anyways, I just wanted to say **thank you** for the reviews! I'm working really hard on this story and it's nice to have such positive feedback so far. I hope it lives up to all your expectations.


	3. Chapter 3

As he approached consciousness, Kurama's nose picked up a familiar, sweet scent from nearby. It was most definitely a flower of some sort, but being as acquainted with flora as he is, across several realms, it took some time to narrow down the exact scent. The more awake he grew the clearer the danger he was in became, overpowering the scent. His arms hung above him in shackles, only a few chain links separated him and the stonewall behind him. His feet were resting on the floor, allowing relief from his arms supporting the majority of his weight. A massive headache still clogged his senses and as he forced open his eyes the scent he identified earlier became clearer to him. Kurama suddenly knew exactly what the scent was.

The scent was hanging on the wall across from him, Kurama chuckled to himself, and how fitting was it that Botan smelled of peony? His emerald eyes evaluated her limp form, '_Some minor scraps on her cheek, her jacket is torn on her left arm but no blood…_' Kurama's eyes widened as he saw the brownish stain of blood across the girls stomach. Concern spread through him but as far as he could tell the bleeding had stopped. Knowing there was nothing he could currently do to help the girl he turned his head to evaluate their prison, a throbbing pain arose in his neck. Kurama made a mental note of it, and began to take stock of the room they were held in.

Their cell was simple enough; stone covered the walls, ceiling, and floor surrounding the two captives. The ceiling rose several dozen feet above their heads and no windows were visible, nor could Kurama smell the freshness of outside air. Torches lined the walls and illuminated the room with a flickering glow, showing extra sets of chains, enough for three more victims Kurama noticed grimly. That confirmed it. '_They expected us._' The one thing Kurama could not see from his vantage point along the wall was a doorway.

After appraising the entre room Kurama turned his attention back to the still unconscious Botan. The last two days, Kurama mused, had been a reflective group for the fox. '_Never would I have considered saving a female from a fight back in my Youko days. Survival of the fittest was always my priority, and I would have never considered a mate who could not protect themselves._' Kurama had surprised himself once again. '_Mate? My, what conclusions am I jumping to? However… it is nice to feel needed, to protect someone. That's a feeling I haven't felt in centuries._'

Shaking off his thoughts for the time being, the boy began to take stock of his own well being. A headache already clouded his mind, and Kurama could feel his throat throbbing where the demon had choked him. Rope burns were rung into his wrists, as well as across his torso. His shirt was covered in small tears from the demons nails, and he could feel a few scratches to match them on his skin. Shaking his head slowly he discovered the seeds he usually kept stored in his hair had been removed.

After his assessment of himself, Kurama's mind began to catch up to his nervous system as pain began to consume his thoughts. Looking to Botan he saw no signs that the spirit guide would regain consciousness anytime soon, so the boy forced himself into a slumber to allow some of the pain to pass in the mean time.

* * *

_Kurama found himself walking through a marvelous garden, filled with every flower he could imagine, from both the human and demon worlds. But there was one in particular he longed to find in this maze. Searching and searching, every wrong turn lead to more disappointment. Suddenly, his nose caught a whiff of the scent he so longed for. The scent only lingered in the air for a mere moment, hanging gently in the breeze, sending the boy into a frenzy to find its origin. His once calm steps soon accelerated to a sprint as he raced around corners through the maze of flowers. Desperate to claim the flower as his own._

_Kurama rounded a left corner and at last the scent returned to him. The smell of recently bloomed peonies filled the air around him. But the flower itself was still nowhere to be found. Kurama slowed, concentrating on the direction the scent was coming from. Taking a right turn, Kurama came to a sudden halt._

_Approximately one hundred feet ahead of him was a patch of peony flowers. Despite how majestic the rest of the garden had seemed before, none of the flora could compare to the peonies. The pink and white blossoms seemed to be glowing, and they covered the landscape as far as he could see, with green leaves peaking out behind them. The varying shades of pink surrounding him placed a soothing feeling in his mind. Kurama walked through them, pleased to have finally found the flower he longed for, but still felt as if something was missing._

_Having walked deep into the spectacle of flowers, Kurama found himself exhausted. Lying in the bed of the flowers, he made himself comfortable. Immersing himself in the flowers, Kurama felt a comfort in them, unlike any feeling he had found in his plants before. The flowers cradled him, offering protection, warmth, and the inner peace he had so long sought. Kurama allowed his eyes to close and the flowers to envelop him._

_Something was not right, Kurama knew. The comforting scent of the peonies had vanished, taking with it the warmth he had so long desired. Emerald eyes opened to see the once majestic and breath-taking garden left as dry and wilted as he had ever seen any plant. In the span of only five minutes the garden had gone from lush to desolate. Dried up, as if from lack of care._

'_Is that what happens when you don't act on your desires? They become lost to you?_' This thought haunted Kurama's waking moments, lingering with him as he processed his dream. Kurama was no fool, he knew what it meant, opportunities only last so long, and if he didn't act on one he would lose it, forever. But looking over at the slumbering girl across from him he didn't know if he was ready to act just yet.

* * *

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei had finished off the last of the attacking demons. After searching for their missing, friends the group realized they were nowhere to be found. Hiei had not been able to find them with his jagan. The trio was now arguing between searching for their lost companions, or moving forward with their mission. The division in the group, currently two against one.

"Guys, we can't just leave the two of them behind!" Kuwabara whined, again. "Real men don't just leave their friends behind, they go back for them and risk their lives for them!"

"Hn. Fool. Kurama would keep moving without us, he can take care of himself, as well as Botan. And if he can't then he deserves what happens to him."

"How can you say that Hiei?" Hiei did not offer a response, Kuwabara blanched at the fire demons silence. "You don't really mean that do you? Botan needs our help, Kurama is your best friend!"

"I think he does Kuwabara. But either way, it's two against one, we're moving forward with our mission. The portal to demon world is the more important mission at the moment, if we don't stop it there might not be a Kurama and Botan to save." Without waiting for another response, Yusuke pushed off the tree he had been leaning against and headed back towards their fighting grounds. Hiei silently followed, leaving Kuwabara to bring up the rear.

As they bypassed the demon corpses that they had slaughtered earlier, Hiei used his jagan eye to search for Kurama and Botan's energies, a second time. While Hiei was focused elsewhere Kuwabara began arguing once again against Yusuke's decision, citing his moral code multiple times. Hiei did his best to ignore the pair, but Kuwabara's voice had a way of penetrating even the deepest concentration. Yusuke, though not normally so annoying on his own, was not helping the fire demons attempts as he egged on Kuwabara.

'_I swear, these two are no better then a babbling, bumbling band of baboons._' Hiei paused and considered this for a moment, '_I may have just found the perfect description of Kuwabara, I'll have to remember to tell the fox._' With that the little fire demon resumed his search from his friends energies.

The two human boys calmed down their arguments the deeper the group went into the forest, falling into a tense silence. The energy from the portal growing stronger with each step the boys took. If the energy were solidified it might have formed a brick wall, Hiei understood why they were able to get so close without meeting any resistance. The barrier had covered them from the creator, possibly why all the guards had attacked at once, '_trying to make up for lost time by attempting to over-whelm us. Unfortunate decision on their part._'

The trio came up to a breach in the dense forest, the energy surrounding them, encasing them in warning. They crouched down behind the brush and crawled to the edge of the cover. Beneath the cover of branches from a bush the three looked out over the portal site.

A massive silver orb hung in the air. Black wisps were wafting through it in a pattern that reminded Hiei of smoke from a recently blown out candle. The orb also had an electric look to it, as light was flashing through it at random intervals. The orb itself was hovering below them in a valley enshrouded by a mountain range. The trio was at the top of a steep cliff, had they been running to the portal it was possible they would have fallen to their deaths. Looking down the wall Hiei saw a few ledges jutting out in the otherwise flat surface, but paid no mind to them. The three sets of eyes sought out the source of power fueling the portal.

Sharpening his vision Hiei could see the outline of a figure underneath the orb, pacing in a small square. Six steps forward, a turn right, six more steps, and repeat infinitely. The man had a fighters build; tall, lean frame, bulked up muscles in the arms and legs. One thing that was unusual about the character was a set of wings folded into his back. The man turned and Hiei could swear he saw a beak where the man's nose and mouth should have been.

Hiei turned to the detective only to find him not where to be seen. Looking around quickly, the fire demon caught the outline of his friend sliding down the cliff face to the first of the ledges. '_Well, strategy never was quite his style._' Hiei thought before jumping to meet the detective at the ledge, leaving Kuwabara to fend for himself. The figure beneath the orb kept pacing, either feigning ignorance to the three intruders or waiting for them to make the first move. Either way, Yusuke didn't appreciate being ignored.

"Oye!" The detective called out, "what do you think you're doing over there?" The winged demon below turned his head in acknowledgement of Yusuke, but did not utter a single word, keeping his pacing the same as before, not faltering in the slightest by the boy's exclamation.

This of course, only angered the boy more.

* * *

_Botan was surrounded by change. Image after image flashed through her mind, each drastically different then the last. Some mirroring reality, others she knew to be fantasy._

_A single rose floating in a pond, spinning gently in the waves rippling through the water, the full moon shining down, fireflies dancing all around her as she reached for the rose… _

_Hiei's icy glare, which still held a fire in it, that she was greeted with every time she had turned to look at Kurama during their long trek through the forest, the discouragement his eyes held within them… _

_Kurama dragging her away from the fight, the feel of his hand on her back, how close he was to her as they ran, the worry that had been laced through his voice as he told her to fly away from the fight, his attempts to stop the demons from attacking her… _

_Soft hands ghosting across her skin, tickling her, straightening her spine and spreading a smile across her face, lighting her eyes as she looked into his… _

_The chains Gama ensnared Kurama in all through his fight with Toya, and the disasters that could have led to, but the fox had out smarted the make-up, but what if he hadn't… _

_A garden filled with peonies surrounding Kurama, as the fox bathed in his joy, appreciating the scene around him, a simple look of contentedness on his face…_

_Kurama's fight with Karasu in the Dark Tournament, the desperation it took to take the powers of the Idun Box, and trust them to be enough…_

_Fire surrounding her, she was alone, the fire was closing in, Kurama was no where to be seen…_

_Kurama saving Keiko from Hiei when she wasn't enough, the boy had saved possibly both her and Keiko's lives by risking his own…_

_Soft lips pressing against her own, the warmth of them spreading throughout her whole body, allowing passion to take over, she reached into the boys red strands and pulled him closer, refusing to let go…_

_The smile Kurama wore when she met him in his school just two days ago…_

_A simple kiss on her forehead, the smile on the foxes face as he leaned away from her head and looked her in the eyes…_

_Smoke filled her lungs, she looked around, desperate to find the fox, refusing to leave him in danger. The fire was growing; she had to escape the building before she suffocated. Reaching for a window, she threw it open and fell out of it. Botan lay on the ground panting, desperate to fill her lungs with fresh air. __Slowly taking in her surroundings, her pink eyes landed on Kurama. She gasped suddenly. The boy was holding a box of matches and a gallon of gasoline._

The girls pink eyes shot open.

* * *

Author's-Note: Sorry my updates are so sporadic! I had this whole plan for a update timeline, but that kind of got thrown out a window. Oh well. **Thank You Again** for the wonderful reviews and the story alert requests! You guys brighten my day with every e-mail I get. Seriously. AND you have officially caught up to my current writings. Suggestions are welcomed, haha.

Oh, did anyone catch the Harry Potter reference? Haha


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